Stryker Corporation, the assignee of the present invention, filed, Apr. 19, 1993, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/049,144, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,305 disclosing a suction irrigation system in which a handpiece is supplied with irrigation liquid, through an elongate flexible tube, from a remote source. The system includes an electric motor drive pump powered by a battery pack and controlled by an electric switch. The electric switch is on the handpiece and the battery pack is fixed along the irrigation liquid tube between the handpiece and irrigation liquid source, at a point remote from the handpiece. An electric cable extends between the battery pack and handpiece and along the irrigation liquid tube. Such system is marketed under the trademark SURGILAV PLUS (TM).
However, the SURGILAV PLUS (TM) system, while adaptable to a variety of surgical uses, was not specifically directed toward endoscopic surgery. Moreover, it differs structurally and operationally in a number of respects from the present invention.
A number of other companies market irrigation and suction irrigation systems. However, the present inventors have not found same to be entirely satisfactory for their purposes.
Therefore, in a continuing effort to improve on surgical suction irrigation systems, particularly endoscopic suction irrigation systems, the present invention has been developed.
Further objects and purposes of the present invention will be apparent to persons acquainted with apparatus of this general kind, upon reading the following description and inspecting the accompanying drawings.